Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Bienvenidos. This is something I've wanted to do for a long time. Really, just
shortly after moving to San Antonio last summer, the idea started
rolling around in my head to make the effort to see different
parts of town and get my grub on. I mean, doesn't that sound like
fun? What a way to get to know your city and eat, eat, eat.

One
of the things I like most about San Antonio is its cultural heritage.
Located in South Texas, it's no surprise it was a major settlement
during the Spanish colonization that took place in the 18th
century. After its founding in 1718, San Antonio became the capital
and largest town of the Spanish, and later Mexican, province of
Tejas. It was, in fact, the northernmost settlement associated with
the Hispanic culture of the Valley of Mexico.

Of course, this
didn't last. After a whole lot of fighting (deep historical
analysis), San Antonio became part of the new U.S. State of Texas in
1845.

Nonetheless, the
demographics of the city speak for themselves. San Antonio is now the
seventh most populous city in The United States, with about 1.4
million people in the city proper. It should again be no surprise
that the city is about 62% Hispanic or Latino (I don't know the exact
number. I'm not sure if anyone does.).

With that being
said, there's about an endless supply of Mexican restaurants all over
town. They're like Starbucks in New York, with hot sauce. You can drive down any
given street and see a taco joint on your left, then another on your
right on the next block (or the same block). They are everywhere.

And most of these
places are not boasting anything unique. By that, I mean they aren't
tailoring to a certain gastonomically adventurous, foodie contention.
They don't need to. They primarily serve that Hispanic population I
mentioned before, and you can easily see (and hear) that if you go to
one. Foodwise, they typically offer a set menu of breakfast/lunch
plates and tacos, the pattern of which you'll pick up after visiting
a few establishments.

I love these
places. In my opinion, there's nothing better than waking up on a
sunny Saturday morning and going for a plate of chilaquiles and a hot
cup of coffee for just a few bucks. That's another advantage. These
places generally won't set you back too far, and I'll try to break
down the price of the restaurant after each visit, in case you're
interested in getting a little more “bite for your buck”.

However, before I
delve into the finer points of any south of the border eatery in
River City, I want to clarify a few things. The first one is
concerning a statement you've probably heard before and that annoys
the hell out of me:

“That's
not real Mexican food.”

Whoever
says this gibberish needs to shut up because, chances are, they don't
know what real Mexican food is, either. Mexico consists of thirty-one
states and a federal district, boasting different environments,
climates, ethnicities, languages, and culinary traditions. I had the
opportunity to live in a couple Mexican states in college, and, as
you may expect, what you find down there is inevitably different than
what you get up here. I mean, I can throw down some General Tso's
chicken, but are they eating that in China? I'm gonna take a stab in
the dark and say no.

Secondly,
I'm not looking for the “best taco in San Antonio”. Why? Well, to begin with, that would be impossible. I could comb the
entire city eating every taco in sight, but a new joint is always
going to open up. Furthermore, that's not the point of the blog. I
just want to explore one street, and another, and another, letting
you know what's there, in case you happen to be in the neighborhood
or want to branch out a little. But if there's a place you recommend,
then by all means let me know.

Thirdly,
I'm not a food critic. I don't wanna be a food critic. I would suck
at being a food critic. I love good ingredients and well-prepared
meals with the right company or no company, but I'll leave going over
dishes and wine pairings with a fine-tooth comb to the folks who
actually get published.

Oh,
and one more thing. I don't even have to look; I know there are a hundred taco reviewers and blogs in this town. Truth is, in large
part, I'm doing this for me. As I previously stated, it's an excuse
to visit new places, meet people, and hoover some Mexican food. And
you are free to enjoy this process through me or with me and watch my
chins multiply.

So
let's get started.

I
kinna lucked out on my first adventure 'cause I was already “in the
neighborhood”. Some time ago, I took the bus around town just to
see some different areas, and during this trip I knew I had a PB&J
and a banana in my green, extremely masculine tote bag. However, on that cold, rainy day, I really
looked at that packed lunch with a snarl, and I was
officially broken while cruising up Nogalitos Street and seeing this
place on my left:

This
adorable little gem next to a new H-E-B is Rosa's Tacos To Go,
and I felt obligated to give it a try. I just had to. It's open from 5:30 AM to
2:00 PM, and I walked in about a half hour before closing. Perfect
timing. It's nicely decorated, cozy, and in all sincerity, serves
some good food. So good that I came back a second time.

The
place was full when I sat my damp self down at a little table in the
front room, and upon hearing about their fideo lunch special that
day, I had to go with the warm, noodly, meaty, bean-filled soup and a
couple flour tortillas that melted in your mouth. I've had plenty of tortillas around San Antone, and these stuck out. The combination of
that soft, round flatbread with the fideo and a Coke made me sway my
shoulders in my seat to the
Norteño
music coming from the speakers on the wall (You can tell I was on the
bus for a while.).

I
don't remember how much it cost, but it wasn't the cheapest. With the
added meat and beans, the total price with the tortillas, beverage,
and chips and salsa was a little more than seven dollars. Still, not a bad deal, and I'm
glad I went there. And I got to meet Roy, “Rosa's” son, at the
checkout counter. A very nice guy you should meet if you ever go
there, and he highly recommended I come back and try their carne
guisada tacos, which they're apparently known for. A large gentleman decked out in Spurs gear also
approached the counter, looked at me, and said, “You see that menu?
Everything on it is good.”

So
I heeded those words of wisdom and came back.

Just
last Friday, I made the ten-minute odyssey back to Nogalitos Street
to actually try a couple tacos at Rosa's, and it was a pretty decent
life choice. I sat at a different table and was served a carne
guisada, then a chicken fajita, taco as they were being made, my
waitress speaking to me in Spanish for one reason or another.
Both tacos were great. Same alta calidad tortillas, tender,
delicious meat on both with tasty gravy on the carne guisada. The
green sauce on your table provides a delightful burn, and in the end,
I was, again, happy with the almuerzo.

I
chatted with Roy again upon leaving, and he was his friendly self. We
parted with an additional tip to try the enchiladas that are made
from scratch daily. So there you go. Roll down to Rosa's. Loosen your
belt, and have fideo, tacos, enchiladas, and, apparently, anything
else on the menu.